"There are plenty of places to get a classic sub on Absecon Island, but there is nothing like the new Florida Cuts." That is from the Philadelphia Inquirer's summer guide to Shore restaurants. It describes the corner of Ventnor Avenue near the Margate line, where a 50-year-old deli turned into a sourdough bakery this spring. About twenty blocks north, the 5100 block changed during the same months. Three storefronts got new tenants, and a fourth, the Wawa, is partway through a renovation. Both ends of the avenue got busier in 2026, but they got there differently. On the 7300 block, someone already there remade the block. On the 5100 block, new operators moved into spaces others had left. The difference shows on a weeknight in October.
The 7300 Block Was Rebuilt From the Inside
Cookie Till of Steve & Cookie's bought Florida Cold Cuts & Liquors in 2022. The Inquirer reports that for the first few years she made gradual changes, mostly better sandwiches and a better bottle selection. Then this spring she dropped "Cold" from the name and turned the classic sub shop into an artisan sourdough bakery. The team includes lead baker Santina Renzi, consultant Jon Taus, sourdough specialist Victoria McHugh and Till's partner, Kim Richmond. They bake with flour milled from local grains, and the bread goes into grab-and-go sandwiches on two kinds of focaccia and a sesame semolina baguette.
The menu the Inquirer described includes focaccia with mortadella, ricotta and pistachios, and house-roasted turkey with Steve & Cookie's "ugly tomato salad," Gorgonzola and crispy shallots. It also lists a lemony tuna salad with peperoncini and ham and butter on the sesame semolina loaf. The cases hold local farmstead cheeses, the shelves carry spirits and natural wines, and there's soft-serve served as a sundae with Cookie's blueberry pie. The paper also reported that some longtime customers who came for tuna salad and Italian hoagies didn't like the change. When a corner shop has been around for half a century, any change gets noticed.
The same operator already ran a coffee shop a few doors down, so Florida Cuts wasn't a one-off. Here is the block in address order:
- Florida Cuts, 7301 Ventnor Avenue. Sourdough bakery, sandwiches, bottle shop and soft-serve.
- Dhaba Indian Bistro, 7309 Ventnor Avenue. Opened June 25 with curries, tandoori dishes and street food.
- Ventnor No. 7311. The craft coffee shop the Inquirer credits to Till.
- No. 7319. A small-batch bakery next door to Dhaba.
97.3 ESPN's report on Dhaba's opening places it among Peace Pie, Stella and Florida Cuts – Bottles & Bread. The block's newest restaurant moved onto a stretch that already had its own character. An Indian bistro opening next to a small bakery, near a coffee shop and a sourdough counter, looks like a block that knows what it is and has room for one more thing.
The 5100 Block Filled From the Outside
The north end changed through turnover. Here the new businesses took over existing spaces from businesses that had left.
Poppy's Bagels had its soft opening on Friday, June 5, at 5123 Ventnor Avenue, the former Jules of Margate space. It's the bagel shop's second Atlantic County location; the first is at The Exchange in Galloway, 80 West Jimmy Leeds Road. Along with bagels, the menu has grilled cheese, signature sandwiches, wraps and salads. 97.3 ESPN put the shop one block north of Sack O' Subs and Nucky's.
Culina Mundi opened September 4 at 5217 Ventnor Avenue, in the former Mr. Gordo's space next to Sack O' Subs. Founder Adam Colon has more than 25 years in hospitality. NJ.com reported that the menu draws on Mediterranean, Asian, Latin, European and American cooking, with dishes like miso-glazed sea bass over wasabi-mashed potatoes. The name is Latin for "cuisine of the world." The restaurant has indoor seating and a patio.
The Wawa at 5206 Ventnor Avenue closed just after midnight on September 10 for renovations. The planned reopening is Wednesday, October 14, at 6 a.m. Renovation schedules can slip, so treat that date as the target.
A few blocks off the avenue, at Atlantic Avenue and Vassar Square, the same pattern played out. Bruno's Italian Market closed permanently earlier in 2026, and Shortstop Spirits & Deli took over the corner at 4825 Atlantic Avenue. Downbeach BUZZ reported in mid-September that it was open and selling deli sandwiches along with beer, wine and spirits.
On the north end, you can still see what used to be in each storefront. People say "the old Jules of Margate space" or "where Mr. Gordo's was" because those names were on the block until recently. On the 7300 block, the history sits inside one business. Florida Cuts is the old deli, renamed and rebuilt.
How the Two Ends Work on an October Evening
The two clusters complement each other more than they compete. Culina Mundi is BYOB. If you're having dinner on the north end, there's a bottle shop at either end of town. Shortstop at 4825 Atlantic Avenue sells beer, wine and spirits, and Florida Cuts at 7301 Ventnor Avenue stocks spirits and natural wines.
Check hours before you go. NJ.com's September report listed Culina Mundi as open Sunday and closed Tuesday. The restaurant's own website lists these hours:
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 5 to 9 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 5 to 10 p.m.
- Tuesday and Sunday: Closed
When the two disagree, use the restaurant's site. Reservations and menus are there too, and the phone number listed is 609-246-6269.
The sources don't say whether any of these businesses will stay open all winter or cut back once the season is over. Hours posted in early October may change by December.
The Calendar Runs Along the Same Avenue
The Ventnor Business Association's October plans follow the same corridor. The association's fall lineup includes VBA Goes Pink, a campaign for the whole month in which member businesses decorate their storefronts in pink, run specials and put up displays. Here are the remaining dates for the month:
- Sunday, October 18: The Comeback Collective. Jackie Fox of Fox Fitness 4 You is organizing a benefit for Living Beyond Breast Cancer at Leslie's Dance Studio, 6601 Ventnor Avenue, #105. That's a few blocks north of the 7300 cluster.
- Thursday, October 22: Regional networking mixer. The Brigantine Chamber of Commerce is hosting it at Brigantine Golf Links starting at 5:30 p.m. VBA members attend free with registration.
- Sunday, October 25: Halloween Fest at Ski Beach. Runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the VBA will have a tent for local businesses.
- Saturday, October 31: Trick-or-treat. The city's posted hours are 6 to 8 p.m.
You can find all of these on the City of Ventnor's events page and the Ventnor Business Association site.
One Block Over, the Boardwalk's Next Phase Is Still a Plan
Over on the boardwalk, the changes so far are visible in part. Phase 1 of the rebuild, from Suffolk Avenue to Cambridge Avenue, finished on schedule. Shore Local reported that it had a ribbon cutting on April 29. The city awarded the reconstruction contract to Fred Schiavone Construction. It also identified $7.1 million in funding through the Boardwalk Preservation Act.
Phase 2 covers Suffolk Avenue to Jackson Avenue. It was expected to start after Labor Day, and the city's earlier notice described it as a fall-to-winter 2026 project. As of early October, there's no public notice confirming that work has begun or listing closures and detours. The city's capital projects page still shows the October 2025 boardwalk notice as its latest item on the project. The same page lists the Ventnor Avenue reconstruction as awarded or under construction. That project includes resurfacing, new curbs and gutters, and ADA ramps. The capital projects page is the first place to check for any boardwalk access changes before a weekend walk.
At Sean Elstone, we follow which storefronts change hands on Ventnor Avenue and which ones get reinvented, because that tells you how the town is changing. If you own on Absecon Island and want to know how this year's changes on the 5100 and 7300 blocks fit into the bigger Downbeach picture, Request a VIP Consultation and we'll go over it together.
